Time-of-flight sensor with structured light illuminator

US11353588B2 · kind B2 · utility

Assignee

• Waymo LLC · US

Inventors

• Caner Onal · Palo Alto, US
• David Schleuning · Oakland, US
• Brendan Hermalyn · San Francisco, US
• Simon Verghese · Arlington, US
• Alex McCauley · Sunnyvale, US
• Brandyn White · Mountain View, US
• Ury Zhilinsky · Foster City, US

Key dates

• Filing date: Nov 1, 2018
• Grant date: Jun 7, 2022
• Expiry date: Dec 23, 2040

Classification

• Technology area (CPC G): Physics
• CPC primary: G06T7/521
• WIPO field: Measurement
• WIPO sector: Instruments

Abstract

The present disclosure relates to systems and methods that provide information about a scene based on a time-of-flight (ToF) sensor and a structured light pattern. In an example embodiment, a sensor system could include at least one ToF sensor configured to receive light from a scene. The sensor system could also include at least one light source configured to emit a structured light pattern and a controller that carries out operations. The operations include causing the at least one light source to illuminate at least a portion of the scene with the structured light pattern and causing the at least one ToF sensor to provide information indicative of a depth map of the scene based on the structured light pattern.